James Mahoney

I am a Director of Civil Engineering at Aegaea with over 29 years in the sector, a Fellow of the Institute of Highway Engineers (FIHE) and a Member of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (MCIHT). My career has been dedicated to working with local and national government organisations, national housebuilders and private developers to bring complex infrastructure to life. Recognised as part of the brightest business talent in the South West, I pride myself on guiding projects through their entire lifecycle - from initial feasibility and planning to detailed design and final construction - bridging the gap between ambitious masterplans and the technical realities of highway and drainage design.

How I can help you

• Comprehensive infrastructure design: highways, infrastructure and drainage, with a focus on Manual for Streets and Design Codes.
• Sustainable drainage (SuDS): integrating SuDS features directly into development masterplans to satisfy environmental goals and planning requirements.
• Technical approval management: the full suite - Sections 38, 278, 104 and 106 - moving your project smoothly from paper to pavement.
• Multi-disciplinary project leadership: technical advice and project management across residential, commercial, retail, education and healthcare schemes.
• Strategic stakeholder engagement: leading negotiations with Local Highway and Water Authorities, the Environment Agency and utility companies to secure consents.

Expertise in action

• Delivered a 1,200-home urban expansion (South Sebastopol): Project Manager for spine roads, bridges and extensive off-site highway works requiring Welsh Government consultation.
• Realigned a watercourse to cut flood risk on a 408-home masterplan (Cullompton): Project Director overseeing the civil engineering design, enhancing biodiversity in the process.
• Unlocked reclaimed industrial land for 129 homes (Stourport-on-Severn): highway and drainage design including a new surface water outfall to the River Stour.
• Enabled one of the UK’s first Bio-LNG stations (Avonmouth): vehicular access and surface water drainage, with Internal Drainage Board watercourse consents.
• International delivery (Egypt): regional waste management facilities developed with international contractors across South Sinai.

Questions I’m often asked

• What’s the difference between a Section 38 and a Section 278 agreement?: Broadly: S38 covers new roads you want the highway authority to adopt; S278 covers alterations to the existing public highway. Most developments need one or both, and getting the design right first time is what keeps programmes on track.
• Can SuDS work on a dense masterplan?: Yes. The trick is designing them in from the start rather than bolting them on. Well-integrated SuDS can double as landscape, amenity and biodiversity assets while satisfying the LLFA.

A bit about me

Being a PRINCE2 Practitioner helps me stay organised in highly pressurised environments. Away from the drawing board you’ll likely find me running - provided I’m not nursing an injury - or on the golf course if the weather is on my side. Most of my spare time, though, is happily spent cheering on my children at their various out-of-school activities.